Timber Market Survey

The September Quarter 2011 Timber Market Survey (TMS) was released by URS. The quarterly  TMS report provides comprehensive information on timber price movements and market trends in Australia. It contains national price indexes for a range of timber products, as well as an update on economic conditions influencing wood product markets and the latest trade data.

Report available on the Elite Cypress Trial

An elite cypress trial established in 2004 at Caveton, South Australia, has had five year old growth and form measurements. The report provides background to the trial, details of the eight cultivars tested, and reports the methodology and results. Comparisons of the growth and form traits indicate significant differences between cultivars. From these results recommendations of cultivars are made for suitablility of the cultivars for forestry application. The cultivar Ovensii was the best performing cultivar and would be recommended for forestry applications in the region. The full report provides further details on the trial and results.

Report available on Investigating establishing techniques to improve Allocasuarina luehmannii and Eucalyptus microcarpa tube stock survival and growth

The final report has been released with the results of this trial. The report outlines the treatments tested and the results for Allocasuarina luehmannii (buloke) and Eucalyptus microcarpa (grey box) survival and height growth. No treatment was significantly better than the control treatment of site cultivation and weed control. The full report provides further details on the trial and results.

Report available for measurement results of the 1982 eucalypt species trial at the Mount Gambier airport

The 1982 trial consists of five species of eucalypt; Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus nitens, Eucalyptus obliqua, Eucalyptus regnans and Eucalyptus viminalis. The trial was thinned in 1997 and results from measurements recorded in June 2009 could not identify any significant difference in standing volume between the five species. The full report provides further details on the trial and results.

New forestry guidelines for South Australia

The Guidelines for Plantation Forestry in South Australia 2009 (PDF 765.5 KB)  has been released following consultation with relevant stakeholders and endorsement by the Minister for Forests. Implementation of forest management practices consistent with this guideline will ensure the South Australian forest industry continues to demonstrate to the wider community, its capacity to be part of a sustainable future, while operating in a commercial framework.

Winteriga case study - Integrating productive farming and forestry

A case study has been produced outlining the Family Farm of he 2008 South Australian Farm Foresters of the Year, the Hunt family. The Case study of Winteriga provides some background to the development of the farm to include forestry through shelterbelts, reahbilitation of wetlands and production forests for woodchip and high value sawlogs.

The Winteriga case study provides examples and experiences of the Hunt family as they have integrated trees into the farm landscape. There is a section on the establishment as well as mnagement, harvesting and marketing of the timber.  

To view this case study a pdf version is available from this website. Please select the highlighted text below

Winteriga case study (PDF 420.9 KB)

Label change to Regent 200SC for the control of grasshoppers and locusts in plantations

There has been a label change to regent 200SC label registration across all States for use in forestry plantations including Eucalyptus, Pinus and Corymbia spp. up to two years of age for the control of both grasshoppers and locusts including: Australian plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera), Spur-throated locust (Austracris guttulosa), Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) Wingless grasshopper (Phaulacridium vittatum) Small plague grasshopper (Austroicetes cruciata).

Please refer to the Regent 200SC Material Safety Data Sheet for more information.

South Australian Tree Farmers of the Year

Nick and Rosalie Hunt are the 2008 Australian Forest Growers South Australian Tree Farmers of the Year.

The Hunt family have owned the Winteriga property at Kalangadoo in the South East since Nick’s great grandfather cleared the red gums to provide pasture for his stock. He did this quite successfully and in 1983 after the Ash Wednesday fires there were only 96 pre-settlement trees remaining on the 360ha property. Around this time Nick and Rosalie took over management of the property and have undertaken extensive windbreak and corridor establishment, rehabilitated two wetlands, and planted numerous woodlots to create the best environmental effect. Trees now number between a quarter and half a million – with encouraged natural regeneration adding to the extensive tree plantings.

Winteriga is a mixed business property with around 520 head of cattle and 8ha of apple trees.  Forestry species planted include Eucalyptus globulus, E. saligna, Corymbia maculata, Acacia melanoxylon and Saltgrow E. camaldulensis hybrids as well as mixed plantings in a South Australian Farm Tree Improvement Project species/provenance trial. Winteriga has 7.2 kms of shelterbelts and corridors, 8 ha of biodiversity plantings, 15 ha of remnant vegetation and 18.6 ha of timber production plantings and coppice. There are also large remnant red gums scattered throughout the pastures and within plantations. With 124 bird species and 5 frog species recorded on the farm and these numbers slowly increasing, it is an indication of a healthy farm.

The AFG Tree Farmer of the Year Award honours and acknowledges landowners or private forest managers who, by their personal efforts, have demonstrably managed to establish or maintain areas of forest on their property for the purposes of sustainable commerce in the products attainable from trees, protection for either catchments or crops, or for reasons of conserving biodiversity or a particular forest ecosystem. The award is presented at the regional AFG grouop level, winners are then eligible for the state award and the state winner goes into the national final which will be presented at the AFG Conference in Albury in October.

The winner of the South Australian award receives a cash bursary to assist with costs associated with attending the conference. For further information on the award go to http://www.afg.asn.au/awards/tree_farmer_of_the_year.html

Summit addresses foresters shortage

A full house of 70 representatives attended the Tertiary Forestry Education Summit hosted by the Institute of Foresters of Australia (IFA) in Canberra on 20 May 2008 to address the shortage of professional foresters brought about by the lack of student enrolments in forestry
tertiary courses.

Read the IFA's media release (10 June 2008) 

Australian forest report card: plantations and reserves growing

Australia’s State of the Forests Report 2008 shows Australia’s forest plantations now produce two-thirds of the nation’s log supply and our forests and plantations offset around 9% of our greenhouse emissions.

See the Australian Government's Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry' media release (21 May 2008)

Proposed changes to planning rules for commercial forestry

The State Government is proposing changes to the planning policies applying to commercial forestry development in seven council areas across the Mount Lofty Ranges region.

The proposed changes introduce consistency in policy that will apply across existing zones which already envisage commercial forestry as a potential activity within those seven councils to ensure:

• commercial forests are established in the most appropriate locations to limit their impact on the environment, including on valued existing vegetation and water courses (with their impact on water quality, in particular in the Fleurieu, a key consideration)
• commercial forests are appropriately set back from dwellings and powerlines and that bushfire protection measures are followed, including firebreaks and vehicle access
• designate commercial forestry as a Category 2 form of development in areas that have been recognised as being appropriate for such development

The proposed changes are contained in a Development Plan Amendment (DPA) document, released for public consultation until 21 April 2008. Further information: www.planning.sa.gov.au/go/ForestryDPA

Forestry opportunities are growing

The South Australian Parliament has recently amended the Forest Property Act 2000 to provide new business opportunities for plantation owners and farm foresters.

The amended act enables separate ownership of land, forest vegetation and the carbon rights in that vegetation.

The act provides for two forms of Forest Property Agreement (for vegetation and carbon rights) that can be registered on the Lands Title register. Both forms of agreement bind the future owners of the land.

Once agreements are established, private landowners will be able to sell their forests and/or carbon rights to provide additional income without selling their land. 

This versatility helps set up a framework to realise the greenhouse gas abatement benefits from forest growing and means that South Australia will be well-placed if carbon trading schemes are developed in the future. This will be of most benefit to those growing trees for harvest but also enables the carbon within vegetation planted for biodiversity to be sold.

Prior to the development of this legislation, landholders did not have the opportunity to sell their forests or carbon rights without selling their land.